I've been a car-camper and bushwalker for thirty years. Mostly
I do day
hikes as my passion is photography, which means I walk very slowly!
I've returned to walking after some years away due to injuries and I'm
learning to use Ultralight gear (and my hammock!). I've traveled most
of eastern Australia, walking in landscapes as diverse as tropical
rainforest, snow fields, beaches and deserts. My fortieth birthday was
spent trekking in Nepal which was a truly life changing experience.

The
Hoo-Rag is very different from the standard square piece of cloth
that makes a regular bandana. This is a tubular bandana. Yup, not a
triangle in sight. Because of that, it offers some unique options for
wearing it, as well as being a very flexible accessory for the fashion
conscious backpacker.
My three Hoo-Rags arrived in a cellophane wrapping with one of those
handy seams across the back which allows one to open the packaging
without destroying it. I discovered this seam after cutting the bags
open. Ah well, I'm not keeping the packaging, so no loss.

The first thing I noticed when I pulled my Hoo-Rags out of the
packaging was that there is no hem on the edges. That struck me as
astounding: normally when a piece of material is cut, it will fray
quite badly along the edges if not hemmed, but there's no sign of that
with the Hoo-Rag.

It was only when I looked closely at a Hoo-Rag that I could see the
join between the two pieces of material. It looks almost as if the
pieces are woven together rather than stitched. It really is a neat
piece of work, and means no irritating seams pressing into my head. I
like that a lot. There were no loose threads or imperfections in any of my Hoo-Rags.

There's a lot of give in the material width-wise, with up to about 30%
stretch possible, so it will fit over some large heads without too much
effort. There is virtually no stretch length-wise.

The patterns, or motifs, printed on the fabric appear to be colour-fast from
my early tests - no runny colours on a sweaty head yet. Hoo-Rag have
over forty designs to choose from, from skulls to a giant fish, and a
lot of more feminine designs too. If that's not enough choice, it's
possible to custom design a Hoo-Rag and get it printed as a premium
service. Nifty!

The material feels soft to the touch and water spilled on it just beads
up and runs off. Maybe this would give some protection from light
showers but I'll have to see if that water-resistant property remains
after washing the Hoo-Rag.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

There were no
instructions with the Hoo-Rag, however, I did find a few very hard to
read pictures on the back of the cellophane wrapper giving an
indication of some of the ways it can be worn. The graphics were under
the label and printed backwards but there really isn't much need for
instructions as wearing the Hoo-Rag is fairly intuitive, at least in 'traditional' modes.

The Hoo-Rag web
site contains a great video showing how to wear most of the styles, and
how to manipulate the bandana to make them.

The label on the
cellophane gives the washing directions as: "Machine wash your Hoo-Rag
in warm water and hang to dry." It couldn't get much simpler than that.
A bunch of symbols across the back of the packaging reflect the
international symbols for washing instructions and a quick internet
search revealed the following interpretation: Warm machine wash at 40 C
(104 F), do not bleach, do not iron, do not dry clean, and don't tumble
dry.

TRYING IT OUT

So
how does it fit? The answer is, it depends on the style worn. My reason
for wanting to try the Hoo-Rag is because I have a pointy head. I find
it really difficult to get bandanas, headbands, or beanies to stay on -
they usually end up creeping up my head to form a little bunch on top.
I've tried lots of styles and shapes, but still have difficulty.
Another common problem is that I get too darned hot wearing any kind of
head wear. Let's face it, I'm a sweater. No healthy glow for me - I just
leak like a sieve, and that's one of the reasons I wanted to try the
Hoo-Rag; to see if it will keep the sweat from my eyes and allow me a
modicum of dignity.

So far, I've managed to keep the Hoo-Rag on using a number of the
recommended styles making for a happy Cone-head! A couple of the styles
seem a bit tight and result in the Hoo-Rag creeping up my head, but I'm
finding there are enough ways that do work to keep me smiling.

Another potential nightmare for me with this type of headgear is that
it makes me look like I'm on chemotherapy. I have been told I have a
great face for radio, so I was concerned that people might fall off the
trail laughing as I pass by. I'm happy to report that hasn't happened
so far, and the Hoo-Rag is flexible enough to find a few styles that
are radio-face friendly. The bright colours and sheer amount of
material help in that regard.

My big concern was that the polyester material would be too hot to
wear, and although I haven't had much chance to test it yet, it does
seem reasonably cool when worn as a single layer, and warmer when
folded as a double layer. There are certain fold styles which result in
a double layer of fabric, and other styles which result in a single
layer.

In spite of the large size of the Hoo-Rag, there are a couple of styles
I have trouble fitting on my head. The first is the cap; basically the
Hoo-Rag is twisted in the middle and the two resulting sections are put
over each other to form a double layer beanie. The second is caller the
"Pirate Rag" where a knot is tied in the material so it fits the head
and leaves excess material hanging down in a tail. It looks cute, but
I'm not sure it would stay on my head in anything other than calm
conditions. I'll be experimenting more with all the styles in the
coming months and will provide an update in my Field Report.

SUMMARY

The Hoo-Rag is a breathtakingly
simple concept which appears to be well executed. While it's certainly
bigger than a traditional bandana, it's also so much more versatile.
I'm looking forward to getting to know my Hoo-Rag better.

Please check back in around two
months for my Field Report.

This concludes my Initial Report on the Hoo-Rag Tubular Bandana.
I'd like to thank both Hoo-Rag and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity
to test this item.

LONG TERM REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

I've used the three Hoo-Rags
on at least thirty occasions over the last four months in a wide
variety of locations and conditions. Mostly, I've used the Hoo-Rags
around the home whenever I've been doing anything strenuous, but I took
them on my recent fourteen day trip to Kangaroo Island, South
Australia, and on three other camping trips. The first was a three
night trip to Platypus Flat camping area, the second was to the Bongil
Bongil State Forest for one night, and finally a two night trip to Kew
State Forest on the mid-north coast of New South Wales.

Hanging around West Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Conditions varied from overnight lows around 5 C (41 F) to highs of
32 C (90 F) during the days. Humidity has been a major factor for
testing the Hoo-Rags, and has varied from a very dry 30%, to a soaking
90%. I used the Hoo-Rag as a balaclava/beanie two cold nights, but
most commonly I've worn it during the day.

Terrain has varied from sea level to approximately 335 m (1100 feet)
above sea level, and from dry grasslands to wet subtropical rainforest.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

Okay, let's say it up front: I love the Hoo-Rags! They have proven to be
versatile, easy to use and reliable. I've worn the Hoo-Rags at home
quite a lot when I've been gardening, mostly to keep the sweat out of
my eyes. Although it's not a backpacking activity, I wanted to test the
Hoo-Rag by wearing it as much as possible. I've found that by pulling
it low so it virtually covers my whole forehead down to my
eyebrows, I can catch and wick away almost all of the sweat before it
gets in my eyes. This is a real bonus when mowing the lawns!

I've also found the Hoo-Rags are great at keeping my fly-away hair out
of my face and eyes. On a number of occasions, the winds on Kangaroo
Island were quite strong, and walking was made unpleasant by my hair
constantly getting in my mouth and eyes. Using the Hoo-Rag as an Alice
Band kept my hair under control, allowing me to concentrate on just how
magical the scenery was.

Hair free face in a howling gale, Remarkable Rocks,

Kangaroo Island, South Australia

On two nights, I wasn't really expecting it to be so cold, and used the
Hoo-Rag as a balaclava to help keep my head warm when in my hammock. I
was surprised at just how effective it was considering the material is
quite thin. Conversely, I've also found the Hoo-Rag is thin enough that
it doesn't cause me to overheat during the day, which is a common
problem with hats.

There's no delicate way to put it, but I sweat like a horse, so the
Hoo-Rags have often become wet enough to wring out. Still, they absorb
and wick the moisture away and actually help cool my head when there's
a breeze to aid evaporation. One important factor is that they haven't,
so far, become smelly. When hung up to dry overnight, they don't have
any noticeable odour in the morning. That was a benefit when spending
twelve days in close proximity with someone!

As for washing, I've washed the Hoo-Rags on a number of occasions,
either with hand-soap and a rinse, or just rinsing in water. They dry
very quickly and were completely dry by the morning. I usually just
flop them over a line - no pegs, and they take care of themselves. I
have noticed the ends are rolling a bit, but this does not affect their
function. Fortunately, the instructions say "Do Not Iron", not that I
take an iron hiking, so rolled ends are fine by me! I'm also pleased to
say the colours are just as vibrant as when I first opened the
packages, despite considerable wear. There's been no running of the
colours and they've never left a coloured tattoo on my forehead.

The edges have rolled but this has no effect on using the Hoo-Rag, and the seam is as good as new.

I have used the Hoo-Rag as a towel a couple of times and although it's quite small it absorbs quite a lot of moisture.

So far, I've still not seen any fraying of the edges, and the central
seam appears to be as strong as ever with no visible signs of
stretching. I also mentioned in my initial report that the material
seemed to have a certain amount of water repellency and I'm pleased to
say this has remained even after washing a few times. It's not going
to keep me dry in a storm, but it will manage a light shower. It seems
a bit of a contradiction considering how well it wicks the moisture
away, but there it is.

I seem to have settled on using just a couple of the many styles the
Hoo-Rag can be shaped into. Firstly, and most commonly, I use the
"Alice Band" to keep the hair out of my eyes when it's windy.
Secondly, I use it as a bandana pulled low across my eyebrows to keep
the sweat out, and thirdly, I use it as a balaclava when the weather is
cold. I've tried all of the other styles, but most are fiddly or won't
stay on my cone-shaped head. Still, the styles I use are easy and work
for me, so I really don't need more than those basic variations.

Cool, wicking and effective. What more could I want?

SUMMARY

The Hoo-Rag is a simple concept which is very well executed. I hate
wearing hats, but love wearing these. There are so many colours and
designs to choose from, including the custom design option, that I can't
imagine anyone being unable to find something they like. I've found the
Hoo-Rag to be very versatile, comfortable and, best of all, I don't
look like I'm on chemotherapy when I wear them!

Likes:

Simple to use

Versatile styling options

Bright colours

No seam to rub on the head

Water resistant

Wicks sweat away

Easy to wash and maintain

Dries quickly

Doesn't get smelly

Can be used as a cleaning cloth / towel

Inexpensive (makes a great gift)

Dislikes:

The only thing is that they can be a little hard to keep on a pointy head.

So, will I keep using the Hoo-Rag? You betcha! I carry one in my
handbag permanently when I'm around town, I have one assigned for
gardening, and my third lives in my pack so it's always ready to go.
This is one piece of kit that has earned its right to be in my pack.
It's a lightweight alternative to a hat, far more versatile, and
doesn't blow over the side of a boat in the wind.

This concludes my Long Term Report on the Hoo-Rag Tubular Bandana. Once again, I'd like to thank both Hoo-Rag and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity
to test this item.

Product tested and reviewed in each Formal Test Report has been provided free of charge by the manufacturer to BackpackGearTest.org. Upon completion of the Test Series the writer is permitted to keep the product. Owner Reviews are based on product owned by the reviewer personally unless otherwise noted.